Safety mechanism for operating the muzzle and breech doors of torpedo-firing tubes.



Y J. BARRAJA-FRAUENFELDER.

'SAFETY MECHANISM ron OPERATING THE MUZZLE AND BREECH noons or TORPEDO rmma wszs.

APPEICATION FILED AUGJI. I915.

' Patented Nov. 2, 19,15.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

b 1. BARRAJA-FRAU ENFELDER. SAFETY MECHANFSM FOR OPERATING THE MUZZLE AND BREECH DOORS 0F 10M500 name TUBES. 'APPi. lCATl0N FILED AUG.I1. 191a.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

'3 SHEETSSHEET 2- Wit "mu J. BARBAJA-FRAUENFELD E R. SAFETY mecuAm'sm FOR OPERATING THE MUZZLE ANDJBREECH DOORS or IORPEDO'HRING IUBES.

APPLICATION FILED MIG-II. I915- H Patented Nov,- 2, 1910.

3 SHEEIS SHEET 3.

llIll rra snare rarer carton.

JOSEPH BARRAJ'A-FRAUENFELDEB, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAKE TORPEDO BOAT COMPANY OF MAINE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A COR- PORATION 0E MAINE.

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR OPERATING THE MUZZLE AND BREECH DOORS 0F TORPEDO- FIRING TUBES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, JOSEPH BARRAJA- FRAUENFELDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Mechanisms for Operating the Muzzle and- Breech Doors of Torpedo Firing Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention'is 'to provide a novel mechanism for operating the muzzle and breech doors of torpedo tubes of submarine or submersible boats, the arrangement being such as to positively prevent the opening of one door while the other door is open, to thereby prevent ingress of water to the boat by the opening of one door when the other door is open or partly open.

The invention consists in journaling a sectional lever or crank arm upon the breech door of the torpedo tube, the journal end of the inner section of-which carries a pinion designed for engagement with a segmental rack section carried by a locking ring threaded upon the periphery of the breech door of the tube, said locking ring having lugs designed for engagement with lugs formed on the breech end of the torpedo tube; and in providing the outer end of the inner section of the lever with a stud-bolt upon which is mounted the outer or handle section of the lever, the latter section having a hub upon which is keyed a gear wheel designed for engagement with a gear wheel carried by and keyed to the inner end of the shaft employed for opening and closing the muzzle door of the tube; means being employed for locking and unlocking the sections of the lever together, whereby said lever may be operated as a single unit, as when looking the breech door of the tube, and for disconnecting the sections of the lever so as to permit the outer or handle end thereof to be operated independently of the inner end, so as to open and close the muzzle door of the tube without operating the breech door. 1

The invention further consists in certain details of construction; and novel combinanations of parts; and in the arrangementof an indicator hand operable through the movement of the shaft foroperating the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Application filed August 11, 1915. Serial at. 44,944.

muzzle door, whereby the position of the muzzle door may be readily ascertained.

In the drawings, illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is a plan View of a torpedo tube embodying my improvements; the breech door being shown open and the intermediate section of the torpedo tube, and the shaft for operating the muzzle door being broken away, and the ends of the tube and the shaft moved toward each other. Fig. 2 is an end view of the breech end of the tube, the door being shown closed. Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the indicator hand. Fig. 4 is an end view of the breech end of the tube illustrating the breech door in locked position, said view being drawn on a larger scale than that of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an irregular longitudinal section drawn on the line a-a of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a face view of the inner section of the lever or crank handle. Fig. 7 is a side view of the same. Fig. 8 is a face view of the inner end of the handle section of the lever. Fig. 9 is a side view of the same. Fig. 10 is a detail section drawn on the line b-b of Fig. 8,

the locking pin being shown in position.

1 designates a torpedo tube, the muzzle end of which is controlled by a door 2 to which is connected a link 3 extending from a shaft 4 journaled adjacent to the outboard end of the torpedo tube, and having a segmental worm wheel 5 at its upper end with which meshes a worm 6 carried at the outer end of an operating shaft 7, the inner end of said shaft being journaled in a bracket 8 mounted upon the inboard or breech end of the tube 1. As shown, the inner end of the shaft 7 is arranged out of longitudinal alinement with the outer end, and'to accommodate this arrangement, I provide the shaft with suitable universal joints indicated at 7 in Fig. 1. The inboard or breech end of the tube is controlled by a,

for engagement with lugs 14 formed integral with the inner or breech end of the torpedo tube 1, so that as thelocking ring 12 is rotated in one direction or the other, the lugs 13 will be thrown into or out of engagement" with the lugs 14, to thus seal and lock, or release the breech door 9, as the case may be. So far as described, the construction of the torpedo tube, its doors and mechanism for operating the same are of U'. S. Navy standard.

Mounted upon the breech door of the tube is a bracket 9 in which is journaled the shaft 15 of a pinion 16, the teeth of the pinion being permanently in mesh with a segmental rack section 12 extending from the outer edge of the locking ring 12. Upon the shaft 15 of the pinion 16 is'keyed the inner end '17, Figs. 4 and 6, of a sectional operating lever or crank handle, the handle end 17 of which is formed at its inner end with a hub 18, journaled upon a stud-bolt 18' mounted in the outer end of the inner section 17 of the lever, and keyed upon the hub 18 is a gear 19 which is adapted to mesh with a gear wheel 20 keyed upon the inner end of the shaft 7, so that when the gears are thrown into mesh, the said shaft 7 may be operated as will be hereinafter explained. The inner end 17 of the handle section of the operating lever or crank handle is formed with an extension 21, Figs. 4, 8 and 9, having a pin opening 21 which is held a locking pin 22, the inner end of which is designed for "engagement with a-so'cket 23, Figs. 5, 6 and 7, formed in the inner section 17 of the said operating'lever. The outer end of the locking pin is formed with a handle 22, and the shank of the pin is, formed with ribs 24, Fig. 10, which are normally held in slots or keyways formed in a ring 25 threaded in the outer end of the opening 21. A spring 25 surrounds the shank of the pin between the ring 25, Fig.

10, and an annular rib formed upon the pin 22, so 'as to normally hold the pin into the socket 23 in the section 17 of the lever. By this arrangement, when it is desired to unlock the sections of the lever, the pin is withdrawn from the socket 23 and rotated so as to throw the ribs 24 out of alinement with said slots or keyways, so that the said. ribs will rest against the outer face of said ring 25' of the section 17, and .thus lock it against the tension of the spring.

The outer end of the member 17 of the lever is formed with an extension or arm 26,

the free end of which is formed with' a shoulder 27, designed for engagement by a locking pawl 28 mounted upon the outer face of the bracket .8.

The bracket 8 is formed with apertures in which are retained a locking bolt 29 having its inner end connected to a lug formed on a nut 30 operating upon a threaded section 31 formed upon and adjacent to the inner end of the shaft 7, the outer end of.

the locking bolt being designed for co6per.

'a graduated plate 34 formed with or connected to the top ofthe bracket 8, and to the inner end of the arm. is pivoted a lever 35 having its opposite end mounted upon the upper end of a rod 36 extending from the nut 30, so that as the nut 30 is moved in one direction or the other along the shaft7, the finger of the arm 33 will be moved across the graduated face of the plate 34 to thus indicate the position of the muzzle door 2.

The operation of the invention is as follows :-We will assume that the breech door 9 is open, as shown in Fig. 1, and that a torpedo has been loaded into the tube. The door 9 is then closed. it being understood that the locking ring 12 is in such position to permit the lugs 13 to pass through the spaces between the lugs 14 of the torpedo tube, and that the handle section 17 of the operating lever is locked to.the inner section 17 in the position shown in Fig. 2, so that when the lever or crank arm is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow X in Fig. 2, the pinion 16 will be rotated to thus thread the locking ring 12 upon, the door to force the lugs 13 thereof back of the lugs 14 of the torpedo tube, and thus not only seat the breech door 9, but also lock it in its closed position. As the lever or crank arm is thrown around to the extreme end of its movement, as shown in Fig. 4, the gear wheel 19 will be brought into mesh with the gear wheel 20 carried by the inner end of the shaft'7, and when in mesh, the locking pawl 28 will engage its co-acting lug 27 of the arm 26 to thus lock the gears together. Then by withdrawing the locking pin 22, the handle section of the lever will be unlocked from the inner section 17 so that upon further rotation of the handle end 17 the shaft 7 will be rotated to open the muzzle door 2 of the tube. As the shaft is rotated, the nut 30 will be threaded inwardly upon the shaft 7 to force the locking pin or bolt 29 into the opening 32 in the outer end of the extension 26, thus positively locking the inner section of the leverand its pinion against rotation in the .event of accidental tripping of the pawl 28, and as the nut is moved inwardly, moved across the face of the dial 34 to thus indicate to those in the boat the exact position of the muzzle door 2. v

To close the muzzle door 2, it will be understood, that the handle end 17' of the the indicator hand will be inner section 17. When the sections of the lever are thus locked together and the inner section 17 is released (by the pawl 28), the operating lever may be then rotated upon the shaft 15 of the pinion 16 as a unit,so as to release the breech door 9 of the tube, so that the latter may be opened by, hand.

The breech door 9 is provided with a handle 40 by which it may be readily handled.

It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple and efficient mechanism for controlling the opening of the muzzle and breech doors of torpedo tubes, which serves to positively prevent accidental opening of one door when the other door is open or unlocked.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in the minor details of construction, and in the proportion of the various parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

What I claim is 1. Mechanism for operating the muzzle and breech doors of a torpedo firing tube, comprising, in combination with the operating shaft geared to the muzzle door of the tube, a common operating leveror crank arm carried by the breech door of the tube adapted for locking said breech door in closed position and for operating the muzzle door of the tube.

2. Mechanism for operating the muzzle and breech doors of a torpedo firing tube, comprising, in combination with the operating shaft geared to the muzzle door of the tube, a common operating lever or crank arm carried by the breech door of the tube adapted for locking said breech door in closed position and for operating the muzzle door of the tube, the arrangement being such that the lever is adjusted into position for operating the muzzle door only when the breech door is closed and locked.

3. Mechanism for operating the rnuzzle and breech doors of a torpedo firing tube, comprising, in combination with the operating shaft geared to the muzzle doorof the .tube, a sectional operating lever or crank arm carried by the breech door of the tube adapted for locking said breech door in closed position and for operating the muzzle door of the tube.

tit

4. Mechanism for operating the muzzle and breech doors of a torpedo firing tube, comprising, in combination with the operating shaft geared to the muzzle door of the tube, a sectionaloperating lever or crank arm carried by the breech door of the tube and having means adapted for engagement with the inboard end of said operating shaft whereby to open and close the muzzle door of the tube only when said breech door is closed and locked. J 5. Mechanism for operating the muzzle and breech doorsof torpedo firing tubes,

comprising, in combination with the operating shaft geared to the muzzle door of the tube, a gear wheel carried by said operating shaft, a lever. carried by the breech door of the tube having a gear wheel adapted to. mesh with the gear wheel of said operating shaft when the breech door of the tube is closed and locked.

6. Mechanism for operating the muzzle and' breech doors of torpedo firing tubes, comprising, in combination with the operatingshaft geared to the muzzle door of the tube, a gear wheel carried by said operating shaft, a sectional lever journaled upon the breech door of the tube having a gear wheel adapted to mesh with the gear wheel of said operating shaft when the breech door of the tube is closed and locked, and means for holding said gear wheels into intermeshing engagement.

7 .-Mechanism for operating the muzzle and breech doors of torpedo firing tubes, comprising, in combination with the operating shaft geared to the muzzle door of the tube, and a locking ring carried by said breech door having lugs adapted for 00- operation with lugs formed upon the breech end of said torpedo tube, of a gear wheel carried by said shaft, a rack section formed upon said locking ring, a sectional lever or crank arm journaled upon the breech door of the tube having a pinion engaging said rack section, a gear wheel carried by the inner section of said lever or crank arm adapted for engagement with the gear wheel carried by said operating shaft, means for locking the sections of the lever together as specified, andmeans for locking the gears I outer end of the inner sectionof said lever or crank arm adapted for engagement with the gear wheel carried by said shaft, means for locking the sections of-the lever together as and for the purpose specified, and means for locking the gears into intermeshing engagement.

9. Mechanism for operating themuzzle and breech doors of torpedo firing tubes, comprising, in combination with the operating shaft geared to the muzzle door of the torpedo tube, a locking ring threaded on said breech door having lugs adapted for cooperation with lugs formed upon the breech end of said torpedo tube, a gear Wheel carried by said shaft, a rack section formed upon said locking ring, a sectional lever or I crank arm journaled upon the breech door of the tube having a pinion engaging said rack section, a gear Wheel carried by the outer end of the inner section of said lever or crank arm adapted for engagement with the gear wheel carried by said shaft, means for locking the sections of the lever together as and for the purpose specified, and an indicator hand operable through the movement of said shaft for indicating the position of the muzzle door of the tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of August, A. D. 1915.

JOSEPH BARRAJA-FRAUENFELDER. Witnesses:

PHILIP B. BRILL, VERONICA L. KELLEY. 

